Animal advocates turn out for Lexi; Urge jail time for dog abuser

About half a dozen turned out in front of the Pike County District Court to urge Judge Jay Rose to sentence a Greentown man to the maximum penalty under the law for allegedly abusing his dog “Lexi.” On March 29, Lexi was found muzzled and bound with duct tape. The owner, Russell Seese, who is a resource conservationist with the Pike County Conservation District, has been charged with two counts of animal cruelty.

A picture of the abuse spawned a page on Facebook, and a petition signed by more than 8,000 people, some from as far away as England, calling for strict punishment for Seese. The facebook page is www.facebook.com/ProtestforLexi[3].

Phyllis Simpson, a resident of the area and a volunteer with the Humane Society, said word of the incident spread on television and the Internet and has stirred people to action. At an impromptu gathering in front of the court on May 7, she said, “We want to impress on the judge that we feel that this kind of animal cruelty situation requires the maximum penalty under the law.”

Several others expressed the view that the punishment should be more than a fine, and should include jail time. Several also said he should lose his job with the county.

A spokesperson for the court said at the preliminary hearing Seese waived his right to a preliminary hearing. She said the case will now move to the Milford Court House, but the next date for court action has not yet been scheduled.